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Author: str8calistyle
New Music Monday: Tory Lanez
It’s Monday, so you know I have some new tunes to set your week off right.
Usually i’ll hit you with two songs, but today I brought you one badass Canadian (No, not Drake) with ton’s of great music.
I’ve been vibing to this man for a while now. Must be something about Canada that produces swooning rappers like Drake & Tory. Don’t get me wrong, these two are in their own lane. Drake’s music as we know is more melodramatic compared to the ominous sounds of Tory Lanez.
Here you can listen to his latest single called “Say It”, cleverly sampled from the Brownstone’s 1994 hit, “If You Love Me.”
If you can’t get enough of his sound, definitely download his latest mixtape ‘Cruel Intentions’. There is no favorite song, because they’re awesomely equivalent. Also, take a look at the video of him explaining a bit more about the creative process for ‘Cruel Intentions’ as well as competition & what you can expect from him in the future.
Are you ready for it?
http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/m/115895/script/Tory Lanez & WeDidIt – Cruel Intentions
A Little Something for the Soul
Tell me. Talk to me. Reveal yourself.
Bare your soul, so I can know your intentions.
Shower me with the love I’ve been craving.
Let me know there’s no question of my love, your love… Our love.
Im scared to reveal my soul to you… …Once more.
Now it’s your turn to enlighten me.
If I’m not the fire that keeps you warm I beg of you to put me out.
Douse my flames with water as if my wildfire was burning rampant.
Huff & puff…. Blow my hearts foundation down like the big bad wolf.
Free me of this unwavering love.
If you’re not for me, step aside & allow the love that is.
Let me long for this love in the right direction. Or direct me.
You see, I tend to think I’m crazy because I replay these scenarios in my head that I know may never pan out. Or they in fact have, but not in the way I imagined.
Dream world. Dream girls. Dream on.
New Writings on the Wall: From Anonymous
Submitted by: Anonymous
On December 28th, 2014 I wrote a letter to my love and it starts with I love you.
I began writing to you the moment I believed with all of my heart that you existed. I feared for so long that this love shaped hole that stayed vacant would never be filled. I have dreamt a million times about the free fall at the alter, the look of disbelief that rest on my brow. Your presence, not required but craved.
I read this quote once. It told me that everything would make sense with time, and everything happens for a reason. Most of the time, I catch myself doubting, praying for another season to weather the edges of this life time. Continuing this human experience not yet full but somehow old. I’m a soul full of patchwork and stitching. Holding myself together by the love of the idea of LOVE.
L-O-V-E, these letters of torture fall like bricks in water. Heavy and quick to cause any sort of…effect. Your face sometimes flashes in my memories. This life time has led us to and from each other. Close but still somehow separate but still somehow one.
Your finger tips have danced on the small of my back. I have felt you. We have crossed paths in the world of dreams, where reality is relative, perfection is subject to perspective, and where hands are handled without strain. We love.
In the right place, we will emerge with beauty and grace. Tainted by the crossroads of failure, over and over again. One day life will make sense in your arms. I’ll climb the tallest tree and shout “I LOVE YOU” because all that exists is your net of care to catch me when I leap. When I think about our connection, I imagine diamonds.
Shining loud. A presence that cannot be ignored. A partnership that cannot be forged. A companion that cannot be made up. A team that cannot be broken.
My mind has never made sense to myself, so you can imagine my trouble when I attempt to explain just how complicated I am. I left my baggage in 2011, but that doesn’t mean I don’t carry the scars. Patience is the key to my diseased heart.
I have dreamed that you make me feel simple. Not complex, twisted, confused…just simple.
I miss your touch.
xxi
New Music Monday: Drake for the Win *Updated*
Welcome to a new week folks!
Hopefully you’re ready for some new music, especially from none other than the man Drake, himself. I’m sure you’ve heard of the controversy brewing between him and Meek Mill. Apparently Meek indulged in a little Twitter rant, including calling out Drake for using a ghost writer. To further messy-fy (totally not a word) the situation, Meek went on to name drop the so-called ghost writer for Drake.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you much more about this ongoing situation & to simply put it in Tyga’s words “I’m not here for the tea.” Guess you’ll have to check out the gossip blogs for that. 😉
What I can provide for you is Drake’s official ‘diss’ track to Meek called ‘Charged Up’, which was released over the weekend along with a few other new songs on his new ‘OVO Sound Radio’. Mr. OVO takes a couple shot’s at Meek & Nicki as well as addressing the rest of the messiness in the rap game.
*UPDATE: Looks like Drake felt the need to “body” Meek Mill with a follow-up diss freestyle called “Back To Back”. OUCH!
This next track might be my new jam to play on repeat. Hotline Bling (Cha Cha Remix) is the perfect chill song. Of course Drake is talking about another ex that may have blossomed after him, but i’m here for it. I’m loving the whole feel of this track. Grab a drink and two-step your way around the house.
Let me know what you think of these new songs?
Until next time…
-Twanie
Do You LOVE Your Life or are You Just LIVING?
Are you happy with the person you are right now? Is the life you’re living, the one you actually desire?
I’m only 26, but I can tell you that i’ve been asking myself these very questions over the past few years. From what I’ve already experienced, we will have many transitions in life. I feel it’s super imperative every now & then to stop and re-asses your life & the values you hold dear to yourself; re-evaluate where you are compared to where you want to be & so on…
It was that moment when the first ton of life’s bricks fell on me about 6 or so years ago, that I found myself 3,000 miles away from home fighting the feeling of depression’s darkness looming about. This moment became my first realization of how off basis my life was, compared to what I made myself believe. Even then, I didn’t take the steps to bring my demons to the light, let alone change anything. In turn, I continued to get the same results & sometimes even worse one’s. Luckily that initial sting of realizing “there’s more to my life” opened up a portal that years later I would finally decide to step into.
Now my life is all about ‘Simplicity’. I prefer the subtle breaks in silence when i’m reading at the park or the great loving energy I feel when spending time with my family & few friends. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional ‘turn up’, but even then my kind of turn-ups are simple yet great.
I’ve learned to appreciate the power of not complicating situations. It’s in my Aries nature to enjoy a bit of chaos, but not at the expense of my sanity. Life to me in nutshell is INFECTIOUS. So infections infact, that I feel compelled to find a joy in everything that I do, because everything else is a waste of energy & time.
As I mentioned before, I am always re-evaluating. Sometimes I realize i’m having more consistent negative thoughts or am super irritable out of nowhere. These are times that i’ve learned to ask myself the hard questions. Am I really dedicating myself to the things that I love? Am I wasting my energy on distractions? Do I feel like I am where I’m supposed to be? If not, where do I want to be & how do I get there?
I understood that just answering the questions wouldn’t do anything, I had to actually implement the work & the dedication into my everyday life. Fortunately, on my everyday search of random insight, I came across Brendon Burchard’s short & easy printable workbook, Transforming Truths. Mr. Burchard asks you 8 simple yet very straight to the point questions about you, your life, and the people in it.
If you’re looking to re-evaluate your role in life & how you play it, I highly suggest taking a little time to just scan through the questions provided. If anything pulls at your heartstrings, makes you feel defensive, or just makes you wonder, take the time to asses why you felt that way. I’m a firm believer in knowing where you want to be in order to know how to get there.
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
Have a dream. Reach the dream. Live the dream.
New Music Mondays
Alright folks, new week… new opportunities!
Aside from my ‘Bon Melange’ series, I wanted to bring you some more ongoing entertainment.
I’ve always been a die hard music head. I don’t watch tv, I read a million books & I always have my headphones in my ears. Music is the catalyst for my happiness.
I’m always on the search for new music. Just like my style, I remain versatile with the sounds that I listen to. For me, music is more than just a stream of words made in-sync with a beat, MUSIC IS LIFE. Everyone has a story & i’m the ears that want to listen. There’s nothing like a lyrical ‘author’ who can give me a raw glimpse of their story in a song.
With that said, at the beginning of each week i’ll be posting my current favorite song or a recent release that you can most likely find in my playlist.
Check out my picks for this week! Let me know what you think about the songs or put me on to something new!
Alright… this first sound is for the love of Hip Hop & good summertime vibes. Hailing from Raleigh NC, rapping duo ‘9192’ (Tre’ Mars & Slam) plan on raising consciousness while dominating the summer with their latest mix-tape ‘Namaste’.
‘Summa Fling’ brings that head bobbin, sweet talkin, underground feel. If you catch yourself looking for something to play at your next bbq or while sitting & sipping that ice cold lemonade on your porch this summer, be sure to put this on your playlist.
Check out more of 9192’s music, as well as be on the look out for the official ‘Namaste’ drop.
Next up… something for my roughnecks.
Unlike most people, I didn’t hear about Oxygen’s ‘Sisterhood of Hip Hop’ star Siya, from of the show. To be quite honest with you, I’ve only recently made myself watch episode one of the first season, just to get a glimpse of what it’s like. I don’t have the attention span for tv & i’m definitely not one to jump into a series already underway. (Hence why i’m still stuck on season one of ‘OITNB’.) Pretty pitiful, I know. Sorry Ruby Rose fans!
The first time I heard her was on ‘Nigga Like Me’ ft. Chris Brown & Problem sometime last year. After months of playing this one song by her, I decided to search around a little more. To my delight, I was actually slacking on the amount of content this ‘Bed-Stuy Bully’ had under her belt already. 3 mix-tapes later, I’m grateful for this random find.
While waiting on the release of her highly anticipated EP ‘What Never Happened’, Siya holds us over with something for ‘the streets’ as she puts it.
“The reason I decided to drop this first, is because this sound will not be the route I go as far as my E.P. So enjoy it now.”
Check out the banger below & let me know what you think.
Until next week!
Do you make music or know someone that does?? Send me your links & suggestions… i’m all ears!
-Twanie
